Further Dissident Weapons Found In Dublin

An ongoing Gardai operation has led to the recovery of further weapons and ammunition in the Tallaght area of Dublin last night.

Gardai investigations led them to a stash of two shotguns, a pipe bomb, and a quantity of ammunition, which were found on open ground in Kiltipper by members of the special detective unit.

The news comes on the heels of four arrests in County Tyrone, which were made after a number of raids on suspected dissident republicans on both sides of the border and the discovery of "significant" weaponry earlier this week.

PSNI officers investigating alleged dissident republican activity made the arrests, in conjunction with the Gardai investigation.

During the operation, officers stopped a car near Cookstown late on Monday night and after a search on the vehicle, recovered a firearm and a quantity of ammunition.

The four men in the car were taken to Antrim PSNI station for questioning.

The stop and search was made in cooperation with ongoing operations against dissident Republicans by Gardai from the Special Detective Unit, who carried out a number of searches in the Louth and Meath regions yesterday morning.

During the course of the searches, Gardai recovered a general-purpose machine gun, a shotgun, a pipe bomb, an improvised mortar, assorted ammunition, bomb making equipment and explosives.

Describing Monday morning's find as "significant", the Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said: "This find represents a further step in our determined strategy to target, disrupt and detect the activities of dissident republicans.

"We continue to work closely with our colleagues in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and in the Security Service to thwart the intent of a small group of people who want to inflict violence and pain on communities. Our objective is to stop them in their tracks and secure evidence to put them before the court.

"I want to congratulate both the national units and local Gardai who were involved in the operation which led to today's discovery."

Gardai said of last night's find that an investigation is ongoing, although no further arrests have been made.

(DW/KMcA)